Apparatus for sand completion in wells



Oct. 25, 1966 J, E DE wVrT ET AL 3,280,915

APPARATUS FOR SAND COMPLETION IN WELLS Filed March 26, 1964 INVENTORS DONA L D B. BA YARD dosi/9H 5 @fw/rf 05654550 ORNEY,

United States Patent O 3,280,915 APPARATUS FOR SAND COMPLETION IN WELLS Joseph E. De Witt, deceased, late of Houma, La., by Carolyn De Witt Hunter, authorized representative and tutrix of minor heirs, Houma, La., and Donald B. Bayard, Metairie, La., assignors to Chevron Research Company, a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 26, 1964, Ser. No. 356,006 4 Claims. (Cl. 166-72) This application is a continuation-impart of our copending application Serial No. 78,946 tiled December 28, 1960, now U.S. Patent No. 3,173,487.

This invention relates to sand control in oil wells and more particularly this invention relates to sand control completion with prepacked sand control liners.

Flowing sand has long been a problem in oil production. This is especially true in areas, such as the Gulf Coast area, where producing formations are often unconsolidated. Many methods of sand control have been tried to eliminate the production of flowing sand with the produced oil and gas. One of the more successful attempts to deal with this problem has been the utilization of prepacked s-and control liners in a well adjacent a producing formation. The prepacked sand control liners generally comprise a permeable matrix formed around a slotted or perforated interior liner. The permeable matrix passes oil and gas while filtering out sand and other objectionable material.

A serious problem related to the use of prepacks has been the tendency for a prepack to be broken or cracked while it is being run into the well or while it is being positioned adjacent the producing formation in the well. This problem has been aggravated by the methods used heretofore to place a prepack in the well. If a prepack is cracked, sand will ow through the permeable matrix and cause great ditliculty in producing the well. If serious sand-up of the prepack occurs, an attempt must be made to remove the prepack from the well or to drill it out. If the prepack cannot be removed, loss of the well may result.

Heretofore, prepacks were run into wells in the following manner. When drilling was nished, the drill string was pulled from the hole and casing operations completed. A prepacked sand control liner was inserted into a well and placed adjacent a producing formation by lowering the prepack from the surface on a running-in string composed of production tubing. When the well bottomed at the lower limit of the producing zone, the prepack was disconnected from the running-in string-b'y forcing the base of the prepack on the well bottom and counter-rotating the running-in string to unscrew the threaded coupling between the running-in string and the prepack. The running-in string was then pulled from the hole by alternately raising the entire string and removing the individual tubing sections making up the string. A production packer and va packer setting tool were positioued above the prepack. Attached to the bottom of the packer was a tail pipe designed to fit into the hookup nipple at the top of the prepack or otherwise seal the inner bore of the prepack to the inner bore of the tubing. When the packer was in position above the liner, the setting tool was -activated to set the packer and seal off ICC the annular space between the casing or well wall and the pipe running through the interior of the packer. The freed setting tool was then pulled from the hole and Ia production tubing string was inserted into the packer to give a continuous conduit from the interior of the prepack to the surface and the well was ready to produce.

An alternate procedure heretofore used in running a well liner is described in U.S. Patent 2,299,057. The well screen or well liner of the patent is made of metal and is therefore not overly sensitive to rough use. The method of the patent provides for running in a well liner or well screen and a liner hanger packer on tubing. The liner is hung in the well at an appropriate location by the liner hanger packer and the tubing string removed. A tubing string and production packer connected thereto are then run into the well land connected into the liner. This method is not suitable for running in prepacks because of the shocks associated with running on tubing and setting the liner hanger.

It has been found that Ia number of serious problems arise when prepacks are run into a well on production tubing. The prepack is often damaged when it is sub-v jected to the torque, impacts `and shocks associated with inserting and uncoupling the prepack from the relatively rigid tubing. Since prepacks are often used at depths of 6000 to 8000 feet and deeper, it is a very difficult operation to run the prepack without damage because of the length, Weight, and relative rigidity of the tubing string. Prepacks are formed of sand or other particles bonded together around a slotted liner. Thus the prepacks -are relatively fragile and, therefore, susceptible to breaking or cracking. If a prepack is cracked, sand will ow through the crack sanding up the well or otherwise restricting production.

It is a particular object of this invention to provide apparatus including flexible means for running a prepacked sand control liner into a well.

Briefly, the present invention provides apparatus lfor sand control completion comprising -a permeable liner having a permeable matrix formed thereabout, a packing means having an inner bore, tubular means connecting the permeable liner and the packing means to provide fluid communication between the liner and the inner bore of the packing means, means for setting the packing means, and exible means extendible into a well and ydisconnectably connected to the packing means for running the packing means and the permeable liner connected thereto into la Well.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description -and the accompanying drawings which are made a part of this specification and in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevation view, partially in section, and illustrates the preferred embodiment of apparatus of the invention being run into ya well.

FIGURE 2 is an elevation view, partially in section, and illustrates the preferred embodiment of apparatus of the invention positioned in a well adjacent a producing formation.

FIGURE 3 is an elevation view, partially in section, and illustrates la prepacked sand control -liner and packing means operably positioned in a well.

FIGURE 4 is an elevation view, partially in section, and illustrates a production tubing string inserted in the 3 packing means to provide a conduit for producing the well.

Referring specifically to FIGURE 1, a prepacked sand control liner 77 is shown. The prepack 77 comprises a permeable matrix 87 formed about an inner permeable liner 75. The liner 75 extends down the center of the matrix 87 and it is slotted -or otherwise prepared to allow uid iiow into its interior. A plug 74 is connected to the lower end of prepack 77.

The permeable matrix 87 is desirably formed of particulate matter bonded together around the inner liner 75. Suitable particles include sand; for example, sand selected as described -in the DePriester patent U.S. 2,905,245, is desirable for use in this invention. Alternatively, other particles, such as nut shells, shredded Wood, glass and the like, can also be used. The prepack 77 is positioned in a well adjacent a producing formation to control the ow of sand from the formation. Oil flow-s through the permeable matrix 87 and then to the surface through a flow passage formed by at least a portion of inner liner 75 and the production tubing string. Prepacked sand control liners are well known in the art. Suitable prepacks for use in the present invention are illustrated and described in our copending application Serial No. 78,946, now U.S. Patent No. 3,173,487.

The prepacked sand control liner 77 is connected by a suitable tubular member 86 to communicate with the inner bore of packing means 85. The inner liner 75 of the prepack 77 is connected to the tubular member 86 by suitable means Isuch as a threaded joint. The other end of tubular member 86 is connected to packing means 85 by suitable means such as a threaded joint. The connection is made in a manner to provide uid communication only from the interior of the prepack to the inner bore of packing means 85. Any suitable means of connecting lthe tubular member to the prepack and packing means may be used in place of simple threaded joints. For example, the manner of connecting a liner and packing means which is described and claimed in our above cited copending U.S. application is useful in the present invention.

The packing means 85 must be capable of being set when it is run in the well on a flexible means such as electrical wire line 8,1. The packing means 85 generally comprises a means forming an inner bore and an expandable means formed thereabout and adapted to seal against the well. The expandable means of the packing means 85 seals off theannular space -between the well wall and the means forming the inner bore. A particular packer which is useful in this invention is Baker Oil Tools, Inc. Model D Retainer Production Packer, Product Number -415-D. This packer is illustrated in the Composite Cat- :alog of Oil Field Equipment and Services, 1958-59, vol. 1, page 492. The invention is not limited to the use of this :specific packer however, because generally any packer that has means adapted to receive production tubing and that can be wire line set to provide a Huid-tight seal with the well wal-l can be adapted for use in the invention.

The packing means 85 is set by wire line means. This :is accomplished by a conventional wire line pressure setting assembly 84. The packing means 85 yand the prepacked sand control liner 77 are connected as illustrated in FIGURE 1 and as heretofore described. A wire line pressure setting assembly or a similar wire line setting tool is attached to the packer means 85 and the packing means 85 and prepacked sand control -liner 77 are lowered into the well to a position adjacent a producing formation as illustrated in FIGURE 2. One wire line setting assembly suitable for use with the Baker Production Packer heretofore described is the VBaker Wire Line Pressure Setting Assembly with Adapter Kit, Product No. 437. However, any settin'g assembly adapted rto wire line set the production packer utilized in the invention may be used keeping ,in the spirit Q f the invention.

A flexible means such as wire line 81 which is extendible into a well is provided to lower the packing means 85 and the prepack 77 connected thereto into the well. Means, such as pressure Isetting tool 84, are provided .t-o disconnectably connect the iiexible means 81 to the packing means 85. Other means to disconnectably connect the exible means to the packing means may alternatively be provided. For example, a connection which fails under a predetermined tension may be used. Means, such as derrick 83, pulleys 82 and 89, and rotatable drum are used to extend and retract the flexible means 81 into and out of the well. In this regard, wire line or other relatively flexible means are used in the present invention. The w-ire line should have a flexibility as great as a standard 5A; inch electrical wire line. It is preferred to use Wire lines of even greater flexibility such as 7/16 inch line. The flexible means allows the prepack to be run in the well and minimizes the danger of cracking or breaking the prepack as occurs when the prepack is run on relatively rigid means such as tubing. The wire line, in addition to providing flexible means for running the prepack and thus minimizing chances of cracking the prepack, also provides an electrical conduit for setting the packer and for electrically determining the exact depth at which t-o place the prepack.

Referring to FIGURES 2, 3, and 4 the prepacked sand control liner 77, the tubular member 86, the packing means 85 and the pressure setting assembly 84 are in the well suspended by exible means 81. The apparatus is located adjacent producing formation 91. The thickness of the producing formation 91 will to a large extent determine the length of the prepacked sand control liner 87. As much as feet of prepacked sand control liner 87 and tubular member 86 have been successfully connected below a .packing means 85 and run into a well using the method of the invention.

The packing means 85 is set by activating pressure setting tool 84. The expandable element of the packer seals against the well. After the packing means is set, the pressure setting means 84 disconnects itself from the packing means and is removed from the well by flexible means 81. A string of production tubing 88 is inserted into the inner bore of the producing means 8S. The only route to the surface from the producing formation 91 is through the conduit formed by the inner bore lof the prepacked sand control liner 77, the tubular member 86, the inner bore of the packing means 85 and the production tubing 88. The well is now ready to produce.

T he invention having been fully described, we claim:

1. Apparatus for sand control completion comprising a permeable lliner having a permeable matrix formed thereabout, said permeable matrix being formed of a particulate material consolidated by a bonding material, packing means having an inner bore, tubular means connecting said 4permeable liner land said packing means to provide fluid communication between the interior of said liner and the inner bore of said packing means, means for setting said packing means, and iiexible wire line means extendible into a well and .disconnect-ably connected to said packing means.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 including a drum means to extend and retract said iiexible wire line means.

3. 'Phe apparatus of claim 2 where said flexible wire -line means has a diameter of no more than 7/16 of an inch.

4. Apparatus for sand control completion comprising a slotted liner having a permeable matrix formed thereabout, said permeable matrix formed of a particulate material consolidated by a bon-ding agent, packing means Ihaving an inner bore, -means connecting said liner and said packing means to provide iiuid -communication between the interior of said lin-er and the inner bore of -said packer, means for setting said packing means and flexible wire line means extendible into a well and disconnectably connected to said packing means, said exible an inch.

5 6 wire line means having a diameter `of no more than 5A; of 2,713,910 7/1955 Baker et al. 166-123 2,843,209 7/1958 Degen 166-228 2,978,033 4/1961 Pitcher et al 166-228 References Cited by the Examiner 2,981,332 4/ 1961 Miller et al. 166-228 X UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 OTHER REFERENCES 10/1934 Davis 166181 X Composite Catalog of Oil Field and Pipe Line Equip- 7/1938 BOWP 166182 X ment, 21st 1955-56 edition, published by wond 011, The 7/1939 V1t1 et al 166-228 X Gulf Publishin., CO. Page 2868 4/1951 Vinines 166-181 loun .eik a1 1 2G-1% 10 CHARLES E. 0CoNNELL,P1-imary Examiner.

c ormic 12/ 1954 Marshall et al 166 123 C. D. JOHNSON, S. I. NOVOSAD, Assistant Examiners. 

1. APPARATUS FOR SAND CONTROL COMPLETION COMPRISING A PERMEABLE LINER HAVING A PERMEABLE MATRIX FORMED THEREABOUT, SAID PERMEABLE MATRIX BEING FORMED OF A PARTICULATE MATERIAL CONSOLIDATED BY A BONDING MATERIAL, PACKING MEANS HAVING AN INNER BORE, TUBULAR MEANS CONNECTING SAID PERMEABLE LINER AND SAID PACKING MEANS TO PROVIDE FLUID COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE INTERIOR OF SAID LINER AND THE INNER BORE OF SAID PACKING MEANS, MEANS FOR SET TING SAID PACKING MEANS, AND FLEXIBLE WIRE LINE MEANS EXTENDIBLE INTO A WELL AND DISCONNECTABLY CONNECTED TO SAID PACKING MEANS. 